'Wonder Woman 1984' leads box office amid pandemic Superhero film “Wonder Woman” premiered on Dec. 23 in Korea. Courtesy of Warner Bros. KoreaBy Dong Sun-hwaHollywood blockbuster “Wonder Woman 1984” is dominating the local box office amid the COVID-19 pandemic, attracting an audience of more than 250,000 in just four days. According to the Korean Film Council, Sunday, the superhero film sold more than 100,000 and 50,000 tickets on Christmas Day (Friday) and Dec. 26, respectively. It has secured the No. 1 spot at the box office since its opening Dec. 23.The crime comedy “Collectors,” featuring Lee Je-hoon and Jo Woo-jin, ranked No. 2, drawing 5,000 theatergoers Dec. 26, while romantic drama “In The Mood For Love” ― set in 1960s Hong Kong ― came next, garnering more than 4,500 ticket in sales the same day. “Wonder Woman 1984,” based on the DC Comics character Wonder Woman, is the sequel to 2017 movie “Wonder Woman." Set in 1984 during the Cold War, the movie revolves around Wonder Woman Diana Prince ― played by Gal Gadot ― who encounters new super-villains The Cheetah anDec 27, 2020By Dong Sun-hwa
From 'Wonder Woman' to 'Star Wars,' Jenkins' rise continues This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows Pedro Pascal, left, with director Patty Jenkins in a scene from "Wonder Woman 1984." APYears ago, Chris Pine turned ``Wonder Woman'' down. Then Patty Jenkins came on board and suddenly without even much of a script he found himself under a kind of spell listening to her vision for the film over a hamburger in Los Angeles' Silverlake neighborhood. His no turned into a yes on the spot. Jenkins, the 49-year-old `` Wonder Woman 1984 '' writer-director has in the past few years turned more than one ``no'' into a ``yes.`` Along the way, she has not only cemented herself in the top echelon of big-budget filmmaking but has also forged new paths for her peers along the way with glass-ceiling shattering budgets, paydays and opportunities. Soon, she'll be the first woman to direct a ``Star Wars'' film too. It's no surprise to her cast, who are resoundingly in awe of their director. ``She is the embodiment of exactly what I think one needs to be a good director, which is you have to on one hand be General Patton, you have to be decisive, clDec 25, 2020
'Minari' actress Youn Yuh-jung wins LA film critics award A still from film “Minari” shows actress Youn Yuh-jung Courtesy of PancinemaBy Park Ji-wonVeteran actress Youn Yuh-jung has been named the best supporting actress at the 46th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards for her role Soon-ja in the film “Minari,” Monday, local time.The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) announced that Youn won the award, beating Amanda Seyfried, who played Marion Davies in the film “Mank.”The Korean actress also won best supporting actress awards for the same role at the Sunset Film Circle Awards and the Boston Society of Film Critics. She has also been nominated for awards by the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Florida Film Critics Circle.Directed by Korean American Lee Isaac Chung, the film depicts the experiences and struggles of first-generation immigrants from Korea in the 1980s, who settle in the U.S. in pursuit of their own American dream. The story follows seven-year-old boy David, played by Alan Kim, and his parents, Jacob, played by Steven Yeun, and Monica, played by Han Yeri.In the film,Dec 22, 2020By Park Ji-won
Berlin film festival postponed to later in 2021 due to virus The annual Berlin International Film Festival will not be held as scheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic and instead be split into two parts later in 2021, the organizers said Friday. AFP-YonhapThe annual Berlin International Film Festival will not be held as scheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic and instead be split into two parts later in 2021, the organizers said Friday.The Berlinale had been scheduled for February in the German capital but cannot go ahead due to the likelihood that coronavirus restrictions on large gatherings will still be in place. To give the film industry a venue to market their products in the first quarter, however, a virtual Berlinale will be held online in March. Then in June, organizers are scheduling a summer event with numerous film screenings for the public in theaters and in the open air.``The division makes it possible to maintain the two supporting pillars: film market and festival,'' the organizers said. (AP)Dec 19, 2020
Jennifer Lopez to play FBI agent in Netflix film 'The Cipher' Jennifer Lopez. AP-YonhapJennifer Lopez has joined the cast of a new Netflix thriller, the streaming service said Thursday, announcing that Lopez, 51, will star in and produce The Cipher, a movie based on an Isabella Maldonado novel.Lopez will play Nina Guerrera, an FBI agent on the hunt for a serial killer who posts clues to his murders in codes and riddles online."Cannot wait for this!!! #TheCipher," Lopez tweeted Thursday.Netflix optioned “The Cipher” for Lopez and producing partners Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Mendina. Maldonado, Liza Fleissig, Ginger Harris-Dontzin and Catherine Hagedorn will be executive producers."SO excited that the fabulous Jennifer Lopez will star in and produce the film adaptation for THE CIPHER for @netflix! @JLo IS the Warrior Girl!!! #strongwomen #FBI #ownvoices," Maldonado tweeted.Lopez, a singer and actress, played Det. Harlee Santos on the NBC series Shades of Blue and most recently appeared in the 2019 film Hustlers. She serves as a judge on the NBC reality competition World of Dance.Lopez will perform during Dick Clark's New Year'Dec 19, 2020
Korean monster thriller hits Netflix Poster for “Sweet Home,” a Netflix original series based on a Naver web comic of the same name. Courtesy of NetflixBy Park Ji-wonThe highly anticipated Netflix original series “Sweet Home” released on Friday. “Sweet Home” is an adaptation of the web comic of the same title which has 1.2 billion views so far, according to Naver. The series revolves around Cha Hyun-soo, a depressed teenage boy who lives in an old apartment building called “Green Home” after losing his family members in an accident. The timid boy is suddenly transformed into a “benign” monster fighting against malicious monsters to save the world. Directed by Lee Eung-bok ― a star producer-turned-director with previous mega-hit dramas including “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016-2017), “Mr. Sunshine” (2018) on tvN, and “Descendants of the Sun” (2016) on KBS ― the 10-episode thriller asks its audience what it means to be a monster or a human being.Netflix original series “Sweet Home” Director Lee Eung-bok. CourtesDec 17, 2020By Park Ji-won
'Minari' named in IndieWire's 2020 Critics Poll A scene from the family drama “Minari.” / Courtesy of Busan International Film FestivalBy Lee Gyu-lee“Minari,” the drama film about a South Korean immigrant family trying to start anew in the United States, has made IndieWire's annual “Critics Poll” that selects the year's top 10 movies in different categories.The film news outlet's list, voted on by 231 critics and journalists, includes nine categories ― Best Film, Best Director, Best Performance, Best Documentary, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best International Film, Best First Feature and Best Films Opening in 2021. “Minari” ranked No.7 for Best Screenplay and its director Lee Isaac Chung landed in 10th place for Best Director. Others listed include the film “Mank” and “I'm Thinking of Ending Things” for Best Screenplay, and “Nomadland” director Chloe Zhao and “Lovers Rock” director Steve McQueen for Best Director. Chung's semi-autobiographical film follows a family ― Jacob (Steven Yeun), his wife Monica (Han Ye-ri), mother (YoDec 15, 2020By Lee Gyu-lee
Rise and fall of controversial director Kim Ki-duk Director Kim Ki-duk speaks during the opening ceremony of the 41st Moscow International Film Festival, in this April 18, 2019, file photo. AP-YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooKim Ki-duk, an influential film director whose career was tarnished by accusations that he had sexually assaulted several women, died on Friday at a hospital in Latvia due to coronavirus complications. He was 59.Kim, whose films won him a Silver Bear in Berlin, an Un Certain Regard award in Cannes and a Golden Lion in Venice, enjoyed his biggest successes at European film festivals. But he failed commercially, leaving audiences divided over his depiction of extreme violence and dark content. Born in Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang Province, he grew up in a poor family before dropping out of school at the age of 14 and working in factories for years. After serving as a petty officer in the Marine Corps for five years, he briefly attended Chongshin University. At the age of 30, he moved to Paris and taught himself how to paint by visiting museums and art galleries. He got interested in making films after watching the FrenchDec 13, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Filmmaker Kim Ki-duk dies of COVID-19 Kim Ki-duk kisses his golden lion award from the 69th Venice International Film Festival in 2012 he won with “Pieta” at a press conference at Mega Box Dongdaemun in Seoul's Jung District in September 2012. Korea Times fileBy Ko Dong-hwanSouth Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk, who had been invited to a number of international film festivals, has died of medical complication from COVID-19, according to his acquaintance and foreign news outlets on Friday.Busan International Film Festival's executive director Jeon Yang-jun told South Korean TV news outlet YTN that he heard from a Kyrgyzstan critic of the news about the director who had moved from Kazakhstan to Latvia. Kim died at a Latvian hospital after he was hospitalized two days earlier, said Jeon.“It is an irreplaceable loss and sorrow to the South Korean film industry,” Jeon said online on Friday, where he wrote “RIP Kim Ki Duk (1960-2020).”Russian and Latvian news outlets also reported on Kim's death. The director who won various awards from major global film festivals in Venice, Cannes and Berlin wiDec 11, 2020By Ko Dong-hwan
Chinese film 'Buddy Bath' accused of copying Korean webtoon Seen are a still of “God of Bath,” left, a popular Korean webcomic on Naver, and the poster for Chinese film “Buddy Bath” by director Yi Zhenxing 'China's Wanda stole our film,' says Korean production companyBy Park Ji-wonChina's Wanda Media has been embroiled in controversy over its recent film “Bath Buddy,” or “King of Bath” in Chinese, after its former Korean partner company claimed the Chinese media giant copied “God of Bath,” a popular Korean webcomic, without consent.According to MoonWatcher, a Korean production company founded in 2008, Wanda Media and the film's director Yi Zhenxing violated copyright laws and committed business negligence.The Korean production company said in a statement Friday, “We will continue to fight against Wanda and director Yi Zhenxing for business negligence and violating copyright laws. For the development of Korea-China cultural cooperation, the case should become a good reference.”The remarks came after the Chinese company releasDec 11, 2020By Park Ji-won
